Chapter 98: Uchiha Obito: Rin, you came late, so it's normal you don't know Kakashi well.
"All right! Both sides, form the Seal of Confrontation! The duel… begins!"
The moment the proctor finished speaking, a certain white-haired kid cracked the ground beneath his feet and shot forward like a streak of lightning.
The "certain Obito" wasn't to be outdone either; the instant the teacher's words fell, he scrambled backward.
Of course, this didn't mean Uchiha Obito had actually seen through Kakashi's attack.
He'd simply been beaten so many times that his body reacted on instinct.
If you had to give a reason… it was pure muscle memory.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"
A sphere of flame burst from Uchiha Obito's mouth, ballooned mid-air, and streaked straight at Kakashi.
"Whoa, a Ninjutsu! Who'd have thought the dead-last could pull off something that strong!"
"Yeah, yeah! Will Kakashi-san get hurt?"
…The students in the stands were floored when they saw Uchiha Obito actually use a jutsu and burst into shouts.
Some were amazed the class failure could manage a technique; others worried for Kakashi.
Even the chūnin referee in the arena jumped in surprise.
After all, he hadn't expected the perennial dead-last to suddenly man up.
Watching the stunned faces of classmates and teacher, the corners of "certain Obito's" mouth curled uncontrollably.
[Hmph! Didn't see that coming, did ya! Never thought this great me had that ace up my sleeve, huh? A-hahahaha… praise! Keep the praise coming!]
Seeing his fireball close in on Kakashi, Obito stopped retreating—this round was in the bag.
"Hahaha, Kakashi, bet you didn't expect this! I took a beating every day because I hadn't learned any Ninjutsu yet. Now that I have, you can only—agh! Uh…"
Uchiha Obito's post-battle speech was cut short halfway.
Because he thought he'd seen a ghost.
Heaven knew what he'd just witnessed!
His massive fireball had been cleaved clean in two, and out from the middle popped a white-haired kid holding a Kunai glowing blue.
In the blink of an eye that Kunai pressed against his forehead, its tip glowing red and radiating heat.
"I can only what?"
Kakashi's voice snapped the still-dazed Obito back to reality.
"You can only… you can only beat me in an even cooler pose!"
Faced with the searing Kunai, "certain Obito" finished his sentence against his better judgment.
Hearing the words he wanted, Kakashi withdrew the Kunai he'd held to Obito's forehead.
"Whew~" Seeing the blade finally gone, "certain Obito" exhaled in relief.
Only then did the students in the stands react, bursting into cheers.
"Kakashi, so cool! Ahh~"
What had they just seen?
The teacher shouted "begin," one kid charged, one retreated, a fireball flew, oohs and aahs followed, the fireball split in two, and suddenly Kakashi was in front of Obito with a Kunai at his forehead.
The whole sequence hadn't lasted thirty seconds.
"Excellent! Kakashi wins this match. Form the Seal of Reconciliation."
——
After school Kakashi walked home.
Unlike a year ago when he'd walked alone, this time there were three of them.
The other two were Uchiha Obito and Rin Nohara.
Perhaps it was fate, or maybe Kakashi and Obito were simply made for each other.
From the first day of class, when Kakashi had called him "idiot," the two had spent a whole year locked in love-hate combat.
Rin, acting as both mediator and third wheel, wedged herself between them.
Thus the new "Three Little Ones" of Konoha were born.
"Kakashi, you're so strong—why not graduate early?"
Rin's voice drifted over.
But before Kakashi could answer, Obito butted in.
"Isn't it obvious? He can't bear to leave me!"
"Rin, let me tell you," he said, trotting up to her and whispering.
"A genius like Kakashi is actually super sensitive inside. With me around, he wins every fight—my genius sets him up as the class number-one.
But once we graduate and he meets veteran Ninja who are stronger and more experienced, he'll get crushed. He might even end up bawling!"
Uchiha Obito spun this vivid tale into Rin's ear, unaware that the white-haired boy behind him was turning livid.
"I'm telling you, Rin, you came late and don't know Kakashi well, but I'm different—I've been with him since day one. You see Mr. Cool on the outside, but inside—ahh!"
Listening to Obito's increasingly outrageous spiel, Kakashi finally snapped, kicking him flying—and even took a run-up to be sure.
——
After their scuffle the trio resumed the walk home.
Soon they reached the end of the academy road and turned onto Konoha's main street.
"See you tomorrow, Kakashi."
"Mm, tomorrow, Rin."
"Stuck-up Kakashi, brace yourself for my challenge tomorrow!" Obito boasted before jogging after Rin.
"Rin, wait for me~"
Watching the two fade into the distance, Kakashi turned the other way.
"idiot. We'll see how you do tomorrow."
[Tch—Mom, why won't you let me graduate already!]
[Whatever. Dad's back from his mission today, so at least there'll be good food.]
Thinking of that, Kakashi unconsciously quickened his already brisk pace.
Yet the farther he walked, the deeper his frown became.
People on the street kept glancing back, whispering and pointing at him.
Yesterday none of this had happened.
The strange stares set off alarm bells, so he broke into a run toward home.
Bang!
Kakashi slammed the front door open.
But instead of the scene he'd feared, a roar greeted him.
"Kneel!"
Thud!" x2
Two pairs of knees hit the floor in front of Miya Kiko.
For a moment the atmosphere was excruciating.
Hatake Sakumo and Kakashi knelt there, locking eyes and telegraphing:
[Son, why are you kneeling?]
[…Heh, I tripped while running. Dad, what about you?]
[Heh, same here! Poor blood flow!]
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